Feb. 5, 2007 -- Internet pornography reaches most teens and many preteens --
and most of these porn exposures are unwanted, a telephone survey finds.

The survey comes from Janis Wolak, JD, and colleagues at the University of
New Hampshire's Crimes against Children Research Center. Wolak's team asked a
national sample of parents for permission to interview their 10- to 17-year-old
children about exposure to Internet pornography.

Just under half the parents agreed to allow the children to speak privately
with the researchers by telephone.

Between March and June 2005, 1,422 children gave
adequate responses for analysis.

The main findings:

42% of youths age 10-17 had seen Internet porn in the
past year.

Two-thirds of youth exposures to Internet porn were
unwanted. (However, not all unwanted exposure to porn was unintentional: 21%
of the time, kids knew they were entering X-rated web sites.)

Boys were exposed to Internet porn far more often
than were girls.

Boys are nine times more likely than girls to seek
out Internet porn.

Teens, especially those age 16-17, are far more
likely than younger kids to view online porn, either accidentally or on
purpose. For example, more than two-thirds of boys 16-17 had been exposed to
online porn.

Youth exposure to Internet porn is fairly common.
Unwanted porn found its way to 17% of 10- to 11-year-old boys, 16% of girls 10
to 11 years old.

Most youth said they were not upset by the images
they saw.

Some youths -- those who report victimization by others when not on the
Internet, and those with borderline or significant depression -- may be
especially vulnerable to the negative effects of Internet pornography.

Filtering and blocking programs reduce Internet porn exposure, but do not
eliminate it.

Use of file-sharing programs increased the odds of both
wanted and unwanted porn exposure. Meanwhile, law-enforcement presentations
about how to avoid Internet porn cut the odds of unwanted porn exposure.

The findings appear in the February issue of Pediatrics.

Teen Internet Porn Exposure the Norm

Parents and people who work with youths "should assume that most boys of high
school age who use the Internet have some degree of exposure to online
pornography, as do many girls," Wolak and colleagues conclude.

How bad a thing is this? Despite the disagreeable idea of young people being
exposed to grotesque images, nobody really knows.

"However, some researchers have expressed concern that exposure to online
pornography during adolescence my lead to a variety of negative consequences,"
they continue.

These feared consequences include the undermining of acceptable social values
and attitudes about sexual behavior, earlier and more promiscuous sex, sexual
deviancy, sexual offending, and sexually compulsive behavior.

"It is by no means established that online pornography
acts as a trigger for
any of these problems," Wolak and colleagues note.

But they suggest these effects could be exaggerated in particularly
vulnerable youth. Even if such youths are a small percentage of the population,
widespread exposure to Internet porn means that a large number of children could
be affected.

The researchers note that there's been very little research on the topic.
Until more is known, they advise educating youth about how to avoid Internet
porn.

They also warn health professionals and parents not to shy away from the
topic.

"Frank, direct conversations with youth that address the possible influences
of pornography on sexual behavior, attitudes about sex, and relationships are
needed," Wolak and colleagues advise.